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SQUAB 



^ CULTURE. 

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SQUAB 
CULTURE. 

AN HONEST AND PLAIN TREATISE ON 
SQUAB BREEDING FOR PROFIT. 

-« jv :» ■ iu B »^ 

TelU bt)e h)^ a^cl Oubs of bl)e ]Mi-ii)e^^, How bo 

Mar)a^Se a Lar6e or a Sn)all t lock, \v^I)ei:) 

bo Buy and Who bo buv Fron). 



By C. E. TWOMBLY. 

(Editor of flie figeoii Xe>is.\ 

TwerAy Years a Practical Breeder, Exhibitor, and 
Expert Pigeon Jud^e. 



PRICE TEN CENTS. 



Published and For Sale By 

C. E. TWOMBLY. 
32 Hawley Street, Boston. 



:-.BRARY ot OONSRESS 
I wo Copies Hteceiveii 

APR iio lyoj} 

3ou;yri»f»>, tntry 



SQUAB CULTURE, 



Coptrtghtbh. 1 005 



C. E. T\Vt>MBLY. BOSTOIN' 



U. S. A. 



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(^;/ nights Reserved.) 



Squab Culture. 



INTRODUCTION. 

IN presenting ibis little work or pamphlet on Squab Culture, 
we liave in mind one principal object: a true statement ot 
facts, founded on many years of practical experience. There 
is no denying the fact that Squab breeding for profit has taken 
a tremendous boom during the past few years. The general 
public are asking for additional information, that they may more 
intelligently decide the advisability of embarking in 
the industry. Our daily mail is swelled with hundreds of letters 
from people in all quarters of the United States, asking questions 
such as it would take us many hours to answer in detail. 

We are asked to verify the many statements and wonderful 
claims made by an army of unscrupulous dealers springing up 
in all sections. Circulars, books and other forms of printed 
matter describing the vast profits to be made in Squab breeding, 
sent broadcast over the country is having its effect. The claims 
set forth in these circulars are in nearly every case misleading 
and in a majority nothing less than scandalous. 

That any reasonable man or woman will believe that from an 
investment of $2.00 a net profit of $4.00 can be made in one year 
is most amazing, and there are thousands who have bitten most 
greedily at this alluring bait. Worse still a great many have 
figured, **lf I can make $4.00 profit on one pair per year, then 
I must of course make one thousand times $4.00 on one thousand 
pairs." Hundreds of people who never heard the word "Squab" 
three months before have purchased one thousand pairs of 
breeders on just such arithmetic as the above. Hundreds of 
other victims have invested in smaller numbers ranging down to 
three hundred, one hundred and fifty pairs each. The inevitable 
and only resuH has been the consequence in nine out of every 
ten cases. Where one succeeds, ten fail in all walks of life, and 
why not in Squab breeding. Have you ever stopped to think of 
this? We naturally all make up our minds to be the one in 
ten to succeed. 

That there is money in Squabs can be easily proven. Many 
have tried to prove it on paper and failed. Oihers have spent 

3 



large sums of mouey to prove it and failed, but there is not the 
least question of doubt that a great many breeders are making 
good profits from their flocks of Homer-Squab breeders. We 
know of several near Boston whom we are convinced are mak- 
ing money. 

The object of this little book is to tell those who wish to 
know, in as few words as possible, what to believe and what not 
to. We have not time to go into all the detail we would like to, 
and such subjects on which we have the least to say, our read- 
ers can take it for granted we partially agree with what has 
already been written by others. 

From the beginning, we shall not try to disguise the 
fact that the writer has birds to sell or that he is trying to make 
all the profit he can out of the business. Neither are we writing 
this book for our health. We do wish it understood, however, 
that under no circumstances shall we knowingly make a state- 
ment in the following pages that cannot be verified by actual 
experience. We have stock to sell, and one of the objects of 
this work is to help sell it. But believing that a plain state- 
ment of facts will pay best and that in the long run honesty is 
the best policy, we leave our readers to judge the rest. 

HOW TO BEGIN. 



Beginners as a rule learn too quickly, or in other words think 
they know it all before they have really passed the ABC div- 
ision. Being quite familiar with all the Squab books on the 
market, and there are not a few, and knowing as we do that no 
two writers agree on most points, except where they have copied 
from one another, we do not wonder that so many learn the busi- 
ness so quickly. It is quite natural for the beginner, after read- 
"Bill Jones's" Squab book, to imagine that the thing is easy, 
and that all he has to do is to fit up his house and buy some 
stock. 

Half the jjeople who have started Squab breeding have no^ 
stopped to consider whether the fellow who wrote the book they 
got their education from, ever raised pigeons himself or not. 
They took it for granted he did, but there is a possibility he 
only imagined the biggest part of what he wrote and copied the 
balance from some other book, that in turn may have been com- 
piled in the same manner. One of the worst drawbacks to the 

4 



Squab business is the fact that so far there have been more writ- 
ers on the subject, than there have practical breeders. Some will 
ask — what guarantee have we that C. E. Twombly is any better 
posted than some of the others? We do not expect every read- 
er of this book to agree with us on everything we state, but 
every sensible man or woman who contemplates taking up the 
Squab breeding industry, should first take steps to find out who 
is right and who is wrong, before parting with their cash for 
an unknown value. People without a little judgment of their 
own, will never make a success of Squab raising. Show us the 
person who is following the hard and fast rules laid down in 
any book and we doubt if he will be found suucessful. The best 
breeders will be found among those who have done a little think- 
ing for themselves. More information can be gained by study- 
ing the methods of a successful breeder, than by reading all the 
books that were ever written. 

The beginner should look into the Sijuab business just as 
thoroughly i)efore embarking in it, as he would any other invest- 
ment. Do not consider that you know it all until you have tried 
Tt for a while. The most successful breeders are those who start- 
ed on a small scale and worked up. Purchase your stock from 
the firm or breeder who in your best judgment will give you 
just what you pay for. Do not spend all your money for the 
first purchase. You will have a grain bill to pay before you 
have any squabs to sell, no matter how successful you may be. 
Study the subject carefully and make as many deductions as 
you see fit. Visit all the breeders you can, but do not make up 
your mind to improve on the methods of others until you have 
tried their way. 

Further on we shall mention a number of improvements on 
niethods advised in some of the books you have read. These 
suggestions we feel sure will well pay those who decide to fol- 
low them. The writer has been censured more than once, for 
advising beginners to go slow and has lost many good sales 
through telling those who have asked him, of the numerous pit- 
falls along the road to successful Squab Culture. The secret of 
success lies in the beginning. Be sure you are right, then go 
ahead. 

BUILDING THE LOFT. 



Naturally, before purchasing stock, one must fit up his house 
or loft and it is a very good plan to have everything in readiness 

5 



for the birds when they arrive. So much has been written on 
this subject that we shall not give it much space. Practically 
speaking no two breeders are situated alike, and a loft or pigeon 
house should be constructed more according to circumstances 
than anything else. We do not advise any greater expense for 
lofts than is absolutely necessary, and if one is starting in the 
business for profit alone the item of lofts and fittings will figure 
quite extensively. If, however, it is necessary to construct an 
entirely new loft, the following advice may prove of value. 

First, select the site and have the loft face South if possible. 
We prefer a one-story pitch roof, the high side for the front. 
This allows the sun to penetrate the entire building. Have no 
windows in the back or North side, as these walls are for the 
nests. The floor should be at least one foot from the ground, 
and if a double floor is decided upon, the first boarding can be 
of very cheap lumber, with then a layer of heavy paper and 
finished with matched boards. One of the common faults in 
the construction of lofts is, to our mind, a needless number of 
upright joist. These uprights can just as well be made of 2x.^ 
lumber as of 2x4, which is generally used ; this saves one-fourth 
the cost. Then again, four feet apart is just exactly as good as 
two feet, and here is another 100% saved. The dimensions of a 
loft of course is determined by the space available. A good 
width for a loft is twelve feet. We should advise six feet high 
behind by nine feet in front, and the rooms inside ten feet long. 
Thus a building forty feet long by twelve wide would make four 
ideal lofts 10x12. We do not advise an alley as some do, as this 
only takes up room, adds expense and gets you nothing. Have 
doors from one loft to another, and if no better place is to be 
had, an extra room at one end can be kept for grain, mating 
coops, killing room and a great many other things. 

The divisions or partitions between the lofts can be made of 
boards or wire, just as the owner sees fit. Nests are to go along 
the back and up both sides as far as the door. This building 
can be simply boarded with good match boards or papered 
outside and clapboarded according to the amount of money to 
be expended. Have at least one large window in the front of 
each loft, and outside the wire aviary or fly can be as large as 
one sees fit to make it. We consider a wire fly twice as large as 
the inside room quite sufficient. This we would build to the 
edge of the roof, making it 9 feet high by 20 to 24 feet wide and 
extend the length of the building. Have partitions to corre- 
spond with inside. As on the inside, doors should lead from 

6 



one aviary to the other. This we consider an ideal and cheap 
pigeon loft. One can use these same lines and add as much 
elegance as desired, but the dimensions cannot be improved 
upon. 

HOMERS THE BEST BREEDERS. 



Nearly every writer tells you that pure bred Homers are the 
best breeders. This is very true and it is also a fact that from 
pure Homers there is a smaller percentage of infertile eggs, 
sick, puny young ones, and less sickness in general than in any 
other breed. The pure Homer is the most prolific of all breeds 
of pigeons. Many breeders are experimenting with crosses of 
Runts, Maltese Hen Tigeons, Duchesse and several other breeds 
to increase the size of the Squab. This practice does very well 
as an experiment, but we are told that these breeders realize no 
more for their Squabs at the market than do those who bring in 
the plump, fat, pure Homer Squabs weighing ten to twelve lbs. 
to the dozen. Twelve pounds to the dozen is what may be 
termed the ideal Squab, and to average this, breeders must cull 
their birds many times. It can be done with pure Homers if 
only the largest breeders are selected year after year. We think 
the shorter route to the twelve pounds per dozen Squab is 
through the careful selection of large pure Homers rather than 
crossing with other breeds as some are doing. 

Extra large Homers are not easy to get at all times. The hens 
will run small under the best of conditions and quite often a 
good sized cock mated to a small hen will breed extra large 
young. The small tight feathered hens are usually much 
heavier than they look, and it is not safe to cull the small ones 
too closely. Many have found themselves with a lot of odd 
cocks on their hands through this procedure. We know of one 
large firm which advertises two grades, and in many cases those 
who purchase the best grade get a majority of cocks, while the 
hens are shipped to those who decide to try their luck with the 
cheaper grade. The firm which we represent has but one grade. 
The pairs are matched by an expert, and every bird that shows 
signs of old age or lack of condition is either sent to market at 
once or put in a special loft to rest and recuperate. Especial 
care is taken not to overwork our hens, for they play out much 
sooner than the cocks, and our reputation is being built on the 
condition and quality of the birds sold to our customers. 

7 



ONLY MATED BIRDS BREED. 



Pigeons are sold in pairs, but the word "j)air," with a oreat 
many dealers, means two birds and nothing more. Some claim 
to sell only mated pairs, others advertise to sell an equal num- 
ber of cocks and hens and do not claim the birds they sell to be 
mated. The latter however, lead their customers to believe that 
the mating process is easy and say just as little as possible on 
this subject. Here again is where a great many have made 
their first mistake. We consider a thoroughly mated pair of 
Homers worth to the amateur three times as much as an 
unmated pair, even though they be cock and hen. The novice, 
as a rule, knows nothing about mating nor even how to tell a 
pair that is mated. We know of nothing worse than selling 
a novice a lot of pigeons purported to be mated pairs, when in 
reality there may not be a single mated pair in the lot. Quite 
oft«n these birds are caught from large flocks by some hired 
man sent to the loft with a basket. He picks what he supposes 
to be as many cockfc as hens and grabs the first bird he can get 
his hands upon. When he gets the required number, off they 
go to the customers. There may have been a hundred or a 
thousand mated pairs in the loft he picked from, but every bird 
you get may be the odd one from some broken up pair. If you 
get an equal number of cocks and hens you are in luck. 

This is the way we know most dealers do business. They tell 
you to put them in your loft and they will all mate up and start 
breeding at once. This is where you lose. No breeder can ever 
become successful with birds purchased in this way. To get 
results from a flock of pigeons they must all be mated thor- 
oughly. Birds that are not mated will never breed, and cocks 
in a loft without mates will cause all kinds of trouble. Odd 
hens are equally as bad. To become successful one should 
learn at the beginning how to distinguish a mated pair. Mates 
will most generally be found close together. In the day time 
they will hang around their nest, and at night will be found 
roosting close together. When nearly ready to lay, the cock 
will usually be seen following the hen from place to place. This 
is a sure way to tell a mated pair. If the breeder is not sure all 
his birds are mated he should take steps immediately to mate 
them up. The best way, however, for the novice is to by all 
means buy mated pairs. 

8 



The Eastern Squab Company, which we represent, has, in 
many instances, refused to accept large orders for mated pairs, 
owing to the fact that their facilities hare not enabled them to 
mate their birds as fast as required. It is no small matter to 
mate up one hundred pairs of pigeons and do it so thoroughly 
that they are sure to stay mated. We know of no other firm 
that spends as much time and money or gives as much attention 
to mating as the Eastern Squab Comx^any. We have an expert 
in our employ whose sole duty it is to mate, band and register 
the mated pairs. When we sell mated pair? we do so with a 
guarantee that they are mated. Every bird leaving our estab- 
lishment is banded; each pair is registered, and we give a 
certificate for each pair on which is written the number and 
color of the cock and the number and color of the hen he is 
mated to. All this system and detail costs us money, but we 
know from experience that it is the only way we can give our 
customers full value for their money. It costs us just oue 
hundred times as much to mate, band and register one hundred 
pairs as it does> one, and for this reason we have but one price, 
no matter how large the order. 

In shipping, we use every precaution to prevent the birds be- 
coming separated or mismated on the way, and have constructed 
special wooden crates with small compartments just large 
enough for one pair of birds. These crates hold six pairs each, 
and in this manner we ship any number of pairs so that they 
reach our customers in such a way that there is no possible 
chance of mixing, or the mates becoming parted. From the 
above, our readers can gain an idea of the difference between a 
really mated pair and the so-called mated pair or an equal 
number of cocks and hens picked at random, with guesswork 
for a guarantee. 

SEX OF HOMERS AND HOW TO MATE. 



A great deal has been written on how to tell the sex of pig- 
eons, but all wind up by admitting that there is no known 
method by which the true sex of a pigeon can be told at first 
glance. To an expert it is generally quite easy, but in many 
instances the expert has to guess. Usually the cocks are larger 
and heavier than the hens. When the bird feels plump and 
hard in the hand it is more often the cock. Hens generally 
have a softer feeling. Experts can in many cases tell the sex 

9 



best by expression of the eye. This is our method and it is very 
seldom we make a wrong guess. Cocks usually have a much 
bolder eye than hens; the expression of a hen may be termed as 
modest. 

The difference is best learned by experience, and some breed- 
ers learn the nack of distinguishing cocks from hens more 
readily than others. Many breeders depend upon the action of 
the bird and in this case two are put together in a cage. If they 
begin to light, (hammer and tongs fashion) at once it may be 
depended upon they are two cocks. Two hens will fight, but 
usually not so roughly as cocks. If a cock and hen are put 
together they will quite often fight, and only when it is seen 
that one does the cooing and the other stands in the corner and 
nods its head or flirts its tail and shys up to the otKer, can one 
feel sure of a pair. The one doing the cooing is the cock and 

the other the 
hen. That lit- 
tle nodding 
mo vem ent is 
almost a sure 
sign of a hen 
ready to mate. 
The best meth- 
od we know of 
for mating a 
flock, and the 
one used by the 
Eastern Squab 
Company with 
best success, is 
square are con- 
Place what 




A Good Style Mating Cage. 



the double cage plan. Cages about one foot 
structed with every other partition made of wire, 
you think is a cock in one side and what you should judge a 
hen in the other, then watch them. When you see what you 
think is the cock, get close to the wire and coo and if the one in 
the other side flirts its tail and rushes up to wire, you may then 
feel sure you have a pair. Let them remain this way for a short 
time, then quietly put the hen in the cock's cage. If they seem 
glad to get together and do not offer to fight, let them remain 
together a day or two, then band and put in your breeding loft. 
When birds jjlaced in these coops do not show signs of mating 
after a few days, we advise changing them as you have probably 

10 



picked two of the same sex. Under no circumstances put any 
birds in your breeding loft until you are sure they are mated. 
Have the band numbers registered in a book kept for the pur- 
pose, for in case anything should happen to one of a pair, you 
will want to know the number of his or her mate in order to get 
it another partner. 

The idea of trap nests for mating is becoming quite popular 
with some breeders, and we claim the honor of being the in- 
ventor of this method of mating, or rather separating the mated 
pairs from the unmated birds of a large Hock. The idea is to 
have a trap so arranged on your nest boxes that when a mated 
pair enters the nest they cannot get out until the breeder enters 
the loft, takes the birds from the nest, bands them and removes 
them to the breeding loft. This scheme is a good one and is 
being worked successfully by many. Trap fronts can be made 
to just fit the nests, with an opening in the centre, pigeon-hole 
fashion. Have a bob wire constructed so that it can be easily 
pushed in but will not push out. This bob is made of wire, bent 
over so as to have two prongs with about two inches square at 
the top. Hitch it inside the hole so that the prongs just pass 
the bottom. Two little staples at the top will do. This allows 
it to swing in easily, and if a small perch is placed just outside 
the hole the mated pairs will soon find their way in, but the bob 
only working one way will not admit of their leaving the nest 
until taken out by their owner. 

NESTS AND NESTING. 



Our idea of nest construction differs from most writers. Near- 
ly all books on Squab breeding, advise the egg box style of nest. 
This style we have learned by experience is not consistent with 
best results. In lofts where all the nests are alike, and but one 
foot square, there are always a great many unoccupied. 

Instead of using up space to tell the many objections to the 
egg box nests, we will describe what we have found to be the 
most practical and ideal nesting place for pigeons. We will take 
for example the ideal loft described in a previous chapter. The 
back wall in each loft is left 6 feet high by 10 feet long. Place 
10 inch boards, shelf fashon against this wall, start 1 foot from 
the floor and stop 1 foot from the roof. This will take 5 boards 
and make four shelves, not counting the top which is left for a 
lighting board. Now place partitions so as to divide the 10 feet 
into three compartments, three and one third feet long. This 

11 



done on the four shelves gives you 12 compartments, each of 
which will make a lifelong home for one pair of birds. Place 
an earthen nest pan in each end of each compartment and then 
construct a front in such a way as to darken each end over the 
nest pan. The best way we know of is a swinging door for each 
section of four nests. Have an opening in the centre of each 
nesting place, the rest either wired or dowelled up, so as to give 
the birds a sort of secluded feeling when inside. When the nest 
pans are 3 feet or more apart, the young in one nest do not as a 
rule disturb the old birds while setting in the other corner, but 
should they do so, a partition four inches high can be placed in 
the centre. 

On the sides of the loft the same style compartments can be 
built. Leaving room for the doors, about the same number can 
be made on each side, as at the back. This allows 36 nests for 
each loft 10 x 12 and by all means do not try to breed any more 
than this number in a loft 10 x 12. Hundreds of breeders have 
failed through no other cause than overcrowding. Large deal- 
ers advise putting just as many pairs in a loft as there is room 
for nests, for no other reason than to secure large orders for 
birds. We know that more Squabs can be raised from thirty to 
thirty-six pairs in the size loft we have described than from 
twice that number. In fact, we would advise but twenty-four 
pairs until such time as you have learned to understand your 
birds thoroughly. Twenty four pairs are enough for any loft 
and one must be an expert to absolutely control more than this 
number in one loft. 

We strongly advise the use of earthen nest pans. Do not be 
humbugged into using wooden ones or those made of paper. 
The old-fashioned earthen nests are the best; experienced 
breeders laugh at the idea of wooden nests. The original idea 
of the earthen nest was to provide something that would absorb 
the moisture from the droppings of the young. Wood or paper 
will not do this; earthenware will. The earthen nests cost a 
trifle more, but the others are dear at any price. The Eastern 
Squab Company hive these earthen nests made in large quanti- 
ties, just the proper size for squab breeding. They supply them 
to their customers at the rate of $6.00 per hundred, packed in 
straw, ready to ship anywhere. 

For nesting material we advise the use of coarse sawdust or 
plane shavings. Pine needles from the forest are very good, 
and once in a while a handful of twigs not over four inches long 

12 



can be thrown, in the liyin^- pen. We do not use the long, coarse 
tobacco stems so highly recommended by most writers, for the 
reason that some birds will build a nest from them so large that 
their eggs will become lost or broken. The idea of tobacco 
stems is to keep lice from the loft. This can be accomplished 
just as well by a handful of tobacco dust or lice powder thrown 
in the nests once in a while and will be found much more con- 
venient. If tobacco stems are used however, it is a good plan 
to break them up in small bits before placing them in the loft. 

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM MATED BREEDERS. 



A thoroughly mated pair of Homers will instinctively begin 
hunting a nest or corner they can call their own, as soon as turn- 
ed loose in a new loft. For this reason it is well to have the loft 
ready for the birds before they are put in it. The nest boxes 
should be all arranged, nest pans in place , feed and water dish- 
es, etc. in working order. If you have purchased mated birds, 
the best method is to liberate as many pairs as you intend breed- 
ing in a loft, all at the same time. When this is done, each pair 
have the same opportunity to select their nest and they will set- 
tle very readily. 

If part are placed in the loft ahead of the others, the first oc- 
cupants have the advantage over the new arrivals, of being ac- 
quainted with the place and the result will be considerable light- 
ing before all are settled. These remarks are governed by the 
supposition that your birds are all mated pairs. If you buy from 
the right party you can get them this way. The mated pairs 
will all start looking for a nest and one by one, settle in what 
is to be their future headquarters. 

Once a pair settles on a nesting place, (the kind described) 
mark the nest and mark the pair. In this way you can easily 
keep a record of just how many young you get from each pair 
of breeders, the date- they laid, etc. We have breeders' nest 
cards, made to tack on the front of the nests, for this purpose. 
These cards are very handy and cost but 75 cents per hundred. 
Your birds all settled >ou do not have long to wait for the first 
eggs. We have known six pair out of twelve we sold a party to 
have laid their first egg on the seventh day after being put in 
their new loft. This is not uncommon, especially in the early 
Spring months, at which time pigeons mate and breed most 
readily. 

In 17 days after the last e^g is laid they hatch, and in four 
weeks from that day they are ready for market. Some books 
have told you that pigeons breed once a month, the year round. 
This idea we advise you to forget at once. We have known a 
pair to breed and rear two youngsters every five weeks, three 
times in succession. The next nest took 7 weeks and a little 
later the hen took a rest for six weeks. An average of one pair 
every six weeks, for nine months out of every twelve is about 
what we estimate a fair average. This allows six pairs of young 

13 



per year from each pair of old birds and most breeders are satis- 
fied with this uumber. Some pairs will prodably do a little 
better, while others will uot do as well. 

As stated, the Spring months are the best for breeding. We 
do not believe in breeding from a pair the year through and 
strongly advise separating the old breeders for a month or two 
during^the winter, in order that the hens may rest and get ready 
for another season's work. Our plan is to start the old breeders 
about February Jst, and save all the strong youngsters hatched 
during the months up to July 1st. These youngsters will all be 
ready to start breeding by the last of September, and can be set 
at work as fast as they begin to show an inclination to pair up. 

These young pairs are the ones to get the winter Squabs from. 
They will breed well all through the winter and following sea- 
son, up to moulting time. We advise marketing all Squabs 
hatched after July first. These youngsters well not as a rule be 
ready to breed before the following Spring. About October 1st, 
or perhaps a little later, start separating the old breeders for the 
winter. Put the cocks in one loft and Lens in another. If they 
have done well since February, they deserve a rest, and will pay 
for it later on. If this rule is followed your hens will last long- 
er and your Squabs grow larger. Those early young birds that 
mated a year before will need a rest by this time. They too 
should be parted, as another young crop will be ready to take 
their places. 

In this way you can have an endless chain, with fresh breed- 
ers all the year through. As fast as the old ones play out send 
them to market or do away with them. Do not do as one writ- 
er advises, and sell them to some other fellow to start a Squab 
plant with. If they are worthless to you they will only help 
discourage some one else. 

MARKETING THE SQUABS. 



There is a ready market for good squabs and always will be. 
The lowest market price for best squabs is seldom less than 
$.3.00 per dozen. During the winter, the price ranges up to $5.00 
and $6.00 per dozen. Some of the most successful breeders have 
found a x^rivate hotel or cHib trade for themselves. One party 
we know of has been realizing $5.00 per dozen the year round 
from some leading Boston hotel. Breeders living in the coun- 
try, or far from a big city, are of course obliged to depend on 
the commission man. The New York market has, as a rule, 
been paying higher prices for prime Squabs than could be 
obtained in Boston. 

HEAT IN A LOFT.— DISEASE. 



Most writers claim that pigeons require no heat in winter, but 
some of the most successful breeders we know of, who make a 
specialty of breeding in winter, have provided their lofts with 
a heating plant. The idea that pigeons will breed just as well 
in zero weather, without artificial heat, as they will in the 

14 



summer, is auothei of those claims made by tlie fellow who has 
never tried it. It is true that a percentacre of the eggs will 
hatch, and part of the youngsters reach a marketable age in the 
dead of winter in a cold loft, but it stands to reason that a much 
larger percentage can be raised if some prc/vision is made to 
keep the loft moderately warm during the coldest days. 

Extreme cold does not seem to have any effect on the old birds 
if they are in a dry loft with plenty to eat and drink. It is 
claimed that the blood of a pigeon is two degrees warmer than 
that of a human being, which may account in some measure for 
the amount of cold they can withstand. Diseases are less 
prevalent in winter than at any other season, in lofts where the 
breeders are separated, but in the breeding loft diseases such as 
canker and roup are quite frequent, and extra precaution should 
be taken to prevent dampness or too frequent access to the bath 
pan. 

DRINKING FOUNTAINS. 



Fresh water should be kept before the birds at all times. 

Much disease is caused by a neg- 
lect to provide a proper drinking 
fountain, one that can be easily 
cleaned and kept clean. 

We have lately invented a style 
called the "Norwald" fountain, 
which comes in two i>arts. The 
hood or top fits over the pan as 
shown in the drawing and the 
birds drink through holes in the 
sides. All who have used these 
fountains, say they like them very 
much. 

Bath pans are a necessary adjunct to the pigeon loft, but we 
do not advocate so much bathing as most writers do. Once a 
week, and then only on a warm bright day, is all that is needed. 
The idea of keeping a bath before the birds daily is a mooted 
one and we feel sure that a great deal of sickness comes from 
this practice. 

FOOD AND FEEDING. 




Great care should be exercised over the quality of grain fed to 
pigeons at all times. Nothing will cause sickness and destruc- 
tion in a flock quicker than unsound grain. We are not so fussy 
about what kind of grain to feed, so long as it is clean, hard and 
dry. Most breeders feed a mixture of peas, red wheat, cracked 
corn, Kaffir corn, millet, hemp and buckwheat. These are the 
stapje pigeon grains. We have had good success feeding a ready 
mixed pigeon grain composed of a special formula from all the 
above. This is called the Imperial Mixed Pigeon Food and is 
sold by the Eastern Squab Company at the rate of $2.00 per 100 

15 



"/; 



"L 



pouuds or $40.00 per ton. This mixture is made of carefully- 
selected grain, and we think makes the most economical food 
for pigeons obtainable. It is shipped in any quantity f. o. b. 
Boston. 

Grit should be supplied at all times, and probably the very 
best on the market is Foust's. This grit is made of some kind 
of sea shells and salt sand, and is eaten readily by pigeons. It 
is claimed to help keep the birds in good condition. Another 
grit that we recommend to pigeon breeders is the Winrest Sand- 
gravel. This gravel comes in 100 pound bags and is, to our 
mind, a natural pigeon grit. We have seen pigeons eat Winrest 
Sandgravel in preference to grain many times. Fine ground 
oyster shells should be kept before the birds at all times. We 
have had prepared for us a special pigeon size which has met 
with a very ready sale among pigeon breeders. A great many 
breeders do not realize that crushed charcoal is one of the best 
conditioners and appetizers that can be fed to pigeons, but this 
fact has been amply proven by those who have used it. It is 
sold in barrels, crushed the proper size for pigeons, and should 
be in every loft. Partition grit boxes will be found very con- 
venient in which to supply these different kinds of grit, etc. 

Pigeons like salt and we have had prepared for us a Salt Cat, 
put up in brick form, which retails for 15 cents per brick or $1.25 
per dozen. This form of salt is all that will be necessary, if the 
Foust and other grit mentioned in this book, are kept before 
the birds. 

PRICE OF BEST BREEDERS. 



Homing pigeons are advertised all the way from 1*1.00 to $3.00 
per pair. Many dealers offer them at any old price, according 
to what they cost, or how badly some unsuccessful breeder 
wanted to sell. We have always advised our customers to look 
more closely after the quality and kind they are buying than 
the price. What you want, if you are a beginner, is strictly 
mated pairs and these you cannot get from any reputable breed- 
er or dealer for less than $2.00 per j)air. At this price you can 
feel assured you are getting full value, provided you get only 
mated birds and secure a guarantee of mating, list of band 
numbers, etc. 

We have adopted the price of $2.00 per pair as our standard 
value for every pair of thoroughly mated Homers. This is the 
price the Eastern Squab Company charges, no matter what 
quantity you buy. Our birds are carefully banded with num- 
bered rings, the cocks on the right leg and hens on the left leg. 
A certificate of mating is sent with every pair, and each pair is 
shipped in separate compartment crates in such a way that you 
can make no mistake, and you know the minute you receive the 
birds which are the inated pairs. Our crates hold six pairs each 
and we like to receive orders in such numbers as pack evenly. 

C. E. TwoMBLV, Manager, 

Eastekn Squab Co., 32 Hawley St., Boston. 
16 



L8Ag'05 



